San Diego getting closer to driest start to rainy season ever

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - It's not surprising that San Diego didn't have a white Christmas, given that only five times during the last 137 years of record- keeping -- the last time in 1967 -- have snowflakes actually touched ground anywhere in the city itself.

But what is surprising is that, unless more rain falls soon, this season will see a near-record for winter weather in San Diego.

"We're getting closer to this being just about the driest start to our rainy season ever," said National Weather Service forecaster Brett Albright. "If we don't get any rain by Jan. 5, 2018, it will go down as the second-driest start to winter in San Diego."

Describing the lack of rainfall thus far in San Diego this winter as "very unusual," Albright said there has only been .09 of rainfall to date, with the heavier of the two rainfalls, .07 of an inch, occurring Dec. 20.

"We're behind our average rainfall for the year by 2.69 inches," said Albright, adding that Oct. 1 is the starting date for annual rainfall measures.

Though temperatures were about normal on Monday, and are expected to be the same Tuesday, Albright said a warming trend is expected to build by the end of the week.

"Light offshore winds and inland drying will cause a slow upward trend in temperatures, which could climb to the upper 70s, even hit 80 degrees in some parts of the county by Friday," the meteorologist said. "Friday should be the warmest day, which could be about 10 to 15 degrees above average for this time of year."